His words capture the disbelief that gripped survivors as they stared at the wreckage that once were streets, homes and livelihoods.
In the aftermath, the Turkish state launched a nationwide mobilization that stretched across eleven provinces affected by the disaster. The effort was not limited to Hatay alone; resources, labor and planning were drawn from a broad swath of the country to address the scale of the loss. This coordinated response aimed to turn the tide of despair into a concrete path toward shelter and stability.
Central to the rebuilding were the Turkish Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) and the real‑estate investment trust Emlak Konut GYO. Their cooperation was cited as the mechanism through which thousands of independent housing units began to rise from the rubble.
He added a heartfelt line, inviting viewers to let "Bülent abi" tell the rest of the story.
The joint work yielded a tangible result: five thousand nine hundred thirty‑three independent housing sections were completed in Hatay. The completion of these units marked a measurable milestone in the broader reconstruction agenda.
On 2026-10-11, Murat Kurum, Turkey’s Minister of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change, shared videos on social media showing Bülent Artun moving into his new house on Atatürk Street. In his post, Kurum noted that Hatay had been one of the cities where the most effort was poured into the "Century's Construction" project, while acknowledging that the work was not yet finished. He added a heartfelt line, inviting viewers to let "Bülent abi" tell the rest of the story.
The footage captured Artun walking through the doorway of his freshly built home, a moment he described with gratitude. He said he never imagined returning to Antakya after the earthquake, and now, thanks to the Turkish state, the city had risen "from the ground up". He emphasized that life had begun again, and that he and his neighbors were finally sitting in their own homes once more.
Artun’s reflections went beyond the physical structure. He contrasted work done "with heart and soul" against work done reluctantly, praising the reconstruction in Antakya as an effort of genuine dedication. Using his own term, "cillop," he likened the state’s role to a father who tenderly rebuilt the area. He concluded by thanking the Turkish Republic for giving "new life, new hope, and new beauty" to the survivors.
The images and testimonies from that October day illustrate a phase of recovery where thousands of families have crossed the threshold into newly built homes, yet officials remind the public that the larger rebuilding mission continues. The story of Bülent Artun’s return is both a personal triumph and a reminder of the long road still ahead for Hatay and the other provinces touched by the quake.